VOL. 01 NO. 193 | NOVEMBER 28, 2016 | COLORADOSTATESMAN.COM/THE-HOT-SHEET | © 2016

DENVER – Suck in the holiday gut and belly up to your desk … It’s time to get back to work following (for many of us) a long Thanksgiving break. Oh, and happy ‘Cyber Monday’ to you, your favorite electronic device and your wallet. Let the financial gluttony continue!

Strangest of all that crossed our desk this morning was the attack – or possibly odd diagnosis – of Donald Trump’s 10-year-old son Barron … a comedian trading laughs for scrubs to make some offensive claims concerning the “first kid.” You’ll just have to read for yourself.

The First Shot

“I’m doubling down.”

– Gov. John Hickenlooper commenting on his proposed initiative to divert millions of marijuana tax dollars to housing for the homeless.

Oy vey … The solution to Colorado homelessness? … Smoke more pot!

Using Colorado’s booming pot tax revenue to solve social issues appears to be the new normal. Gov. John Hickenlooper – as reported in the Denver Post – is proposing “aggressive” new efforts to address homelessness. How?  …

Colorado’s marijuana tax dollars are currently earmarked for law enforcement, health care, substance abuse prevention and treatment programs. But under a new proposed plan by Hickenlooper, lawmakers would vote to put $12.3 million in annual marijuana tax revenues toward building housing for our state’s homeless population.

Diverting them to housing programs would require a change in law … And no telling yet if state lawmakers will go along with the governor’s plan. Another fly in the ointment could be reaction from law enforcement who may see some of their funds diverted.

ICYMI: Skewes gets skewered by new House leadership

Bill Skewes

Ryan Lynch

This comes as no surprise to those close to the House Republican leadership situation. Neville pledged to shake things up prior to his election, and now we are seeing that come to pass.

House Republicans lost three seats during the recent election, allowing the Democrats’ majority to grow to 37-28.

Making 10-year-old Barron Trump a target

Like underlying rules for the mob (those members who choose to follow them), attacks on the family of politicians – and particularly underage children – have usually been off-limits to criticism and cheap attacks. Period. But that hasn’t stopped a new online effort to catch fire suggesting that Donald Trump’s 10-year-old son Barron Trump is autistic.

The accusations are being driven in part by comedian and Trump critic Rosie O’Donnell. The “evidence” for claims of autism? Video clips of Barron clapping at the RNC, pointing out that “his hands are moving erratically and not touching each other.” Oh, yeah …

The video titled “Is Barron Trump Autistic? #StopTheBullying” shows – what armchair doctors claim are – examples of Barron’s behavior at public events. Wow …

State political ‘fun facts’

Thanks to political reporter Joey Bunch, we may have a new drinking game for the cold winter nights ahead. In an article this morning, Bunch breaks down the legislative makeup post-election and pre-legislative session.

Apparently, finding the restrooms and coffee pot won’t be difficult for the majority of law makers. Everything old appears to be new again. Eight of the 10 newly elected senators are former House members. Additionally, Bunch points out to the layperson that Republican Jack Tate of Centennial is a former member of the House who was appointed to a Senate vacancy just ahead of last year’s session.

Out of 83 races,  just four incumbents were ousted on Election Day, all Republicans: Reps. JoAnn Windholz of Commerce City, Kit Roupe of Colorado Springs and J. Paul Brown of Ignacio, along with Sen. Laura Woods of Westminster.

Your DMV working overtime to censor vanity plates

So, we leave it up to you … How much time and money (yours) should the Department of Motor Vehicles spend to shield you from possibly offensive vanity license plates? With a mix of requested letters and numbers, there is some taxpayer shmo – who drew the short stick – trying to decipher any possible obscene hidden meaning.

What is too vulgar for you to see? The Westword has your answer.

Just because you’re willing to pay extra for a vanity license plate doesn’t mean the all-powerful state of Colorado will let you put anything on it! Darn it …

Calendar

11/28/2016      JeffCo Republican Men’s Club

12/1/2016        Reagan Club of Colorado monthly meeting

12/2/2016        Weld County South Republican Breakfast Club

12/2/2016        Denver GOP First Friday Breakfast

12/3/2016        Liberty Toastmasters Denver

12/15/2016      ACDP Executive Board Regular Meeting

12/19/2016      ACDP Executive Board Regular Meeting

Just for Laughs

Today in History

1964 – Vietnam War: National Security Council members agree to recommend that U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson adopt a plan for a two-stage escalation of bombing in North Vietnam.

1964 – Mariner program: NASA launches the Mariner 4 probe toward Mars.

1943 – World War II: Tehran Conference: U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin meet in Tehran, Iran, to discuss war strategy.

1925 – The Grand Ole Opry begins broadcasting in Nashville, Tennessee, as the WSM Barn Dance.

1895 – The first American automobile race takes place over the 54 miles from Chicago’s Jackson Park to Evanston, Illinois. Frank Duryea wins in approximately 10 hours.

1814 – The Times in London is for the first time printed by automatic, steam-powered presses built by the German inventors Friedrich Koenig and Andreas Friedrich Bauer, signaling the beginning of the availability of newspapers to a mass audience.

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